Flutter vs React Native 2024: Which Framework Reigns Supreme?

When we talk about digitization, we have to mention how app development has played a significant part in it. There are many frameworks, but the biggest question today remains: Flutter vs. React, which one is better?

Facebook introduced React Native, and Google introduced the Flutter framework. Both frameworks have gained wide popularity in the world of development due to their capabilities and features.

Flutter and React Native are two of the most used cross-platform app development platforms.

But what is the significant difference between these technologies? Usability and efficiency-wise, what is the comparison between the two?

These are some of the primary questions you must have.

This blog will further explore the details of Flutter vs React Native to display the comparison between the two, their fundamental differences, and their usability. We will also learn about the pros and cons of both.

Let’s read further!

What is the Flutter Framework?

Flutter is an open-source coding technology developed by Google and released officially in December 2018, as Flutter 1.0.

This platform offers development ease, performance, and visual consistency. It can be used to build native apps on both Android and iOS.

Flutter enables the development of cross-platform applications using a single codebase, allowing organizations to develop an application using one tool available on the web, mobile, and desktop.

The apps created with Flutter are intuitive and easier to navigate, and thus, they have become a popular choice among companies with the necessary framework requirements, such as Alibaba, eBay, and Google Assistant.

According to statistics, Flutter is the biggest cross-platform mobile framework used by software developers.

Key Strengths of the Flutter Framework:

» Fast Performance

» Hot Reload

» Extensive Customization

» Single Codebase

» Built-in Native Components

Recommended Read: How Much Does it Cost to Build a Sports Betting App Like Sportsbet in Australia?

Advantages of Flutter

1. Rapid Coding

Flutter is a new application development platform that can create very high-performance applications.

2. Hot Reload

One of the main advantages of using Flutter is hot reload, which allows the developer to notice changes without wasting much time.

This gives Flutter an advantage over other similar platforms. Developers can pause their code, update it, and return to the same spot with much productivity.

3. Widgets

Widgets used in Flutter are all readymade to ensure smooth developments and designs.

This is primarily because most of them have been driven by Google, offering high code quality and better performance than any other open-source framework.

Most widgets also come with Cupertino and Material Design and can be customized.

4. Minimal Coding

It uses Dart as its programming language, which directly compiles into ARM code for mobile. Applications run much faster and launch faster.

It even makes development easier by easily integrating third-party tools and native code.

5. Attractive User Interface

According to Will Larche, a Google engineer, Flutter's architecture is built to develop beautiful and customizable user interfaces.

This means it aims to build apps that look great, offer a great user experience, and are smooth in speed. Flutter can do so much by letting designers create anything they want.

6. Custom Design

Flutter uses Skia, a high-performance public open-source graphic engine used by companies such as Adobe, Chrome, and Amazon Kindle.

This tool allows developers to design tailor-made apps that work equally well on iOS and Android platforms without UI issues when updating software.

7. Consistent UI Across Platforms

Flutter offers the potential to ensure a uniform user interface and business logic for Android and iOS applications.

This means that the brand's look and feel will remain the same across devices, which is essential for brand consistency.

Disadvantages of Flutter

1. Reduced Third-Party Libraries

Third-party libraries play an essential role in adding in-app features. Most of them are free, open source, and thoroughly tested.

Since Flutter was established recently, many more third-party libraries and packages are missing than any other older platform.

2. Large File Size

One of the significant drawbacks of Flutter is that it is large in file size. An important concern for mobile users, especially older phones, is the limited space.

Hence, it results in the installation of too many application files and photos on their devices, which may result in poor performance.

3. Learning Curve

Flutter is relatively easy to use, but one must know the Dart language first. This extra learning phase would naturally add to the duration and cost of the project.

Explore More: Restaurant Mobile App Development: A Step-by-Step Guide

What is React Native?

React Native is a popular javascript-based mobile framework that enables the development of natively rendered mobile applications for Android and iOS using the same codebase.

Facebook developed it as an open-source project in 2015. In just a few years, react-native has become one of the top solutions for mobile app development, with Instagram, Facebook, and Skype being famous examples.

In the Flutter vs. React conversation, we have to mention that since React requires creating code just once, it translates to a massive advantage in terms of time and resource savings.

React Native combines JavaScript and JXL(a unique code semblance to XML). This platform allows interaction with both Js-based and native app threads.

This cross-platform development tool doesn't render web views within its code, and it can run on existing native ideas and components.

Key Strengths of React Native:

» Time and Cost-efficiency

» Large ecosystem and community

» Native performance and look

» JavaScript and React familiarity

» Third-party plugin support

Explore More: Next JS vs React: Which Framework to Choose for the Frontend in 2024?

Advantages of React Native

1. Optimal Performance

React Native uses native modules and controls to produce outstanding performance.

It directly interfaces with native iOS and Android components without causing interference by generating native API codes.

The smooth running performance is ensured by separating the threads for native APIs and UI.

2. Live and Hot Reloading

This feature of live reloading in React Native lets the developer make all these changes to the code immediately. It automatically refreshes the app after updates and shows the latest version.

With hot reloading, one can watch changes occur in real time without recompiling the app. This produces results much faster, saves time, and quickens up the development process.

3. Simple UI/UX

It has a clean and straightforward user interface, and its structure is similar to that of an open-source framework.

Unlike the usual applications, this application eliminates unnecessary steps to make the app development process smooth.

The result is that your app would be responsive and fast-loading, and the process would leave behind a seamless UX experience.

4. Modular Architecture

The modular design of React Native enables developers to update or upgrade applications pretty fast.

It is also straightforward for different developers to work on the same project or make changes based on its intuitive interface.

This even hastens the testing process because it takes a short time before the testers can understand the app's logic and develop efficient test cases.

Recommendation: Mobile App Development Using Python: A Step-by-Step Guide

Disadvantages of React Native

1. Compatibility and Debugging Issues

Although React Native was invented a few years ago, it is still in beta. Debugging it is challenging and time-consuming because it integrates JavaScript, C/C++, and Java.

To simplify such a process, developers sometimes include Flipper, a debugging tool intended for React Native.

2. Complicated User Interface

If your app has many animations, transitions, or detailed interactions, choose a different framework; there are better choices for such an application.

Gestures will not save the day in this situation because, although Android and iOS have unified APIs, their touch subsystems are significantly different.

3. Complex Framework

The changes in React Native have been very rapid, sometimes making it too challenging for developers to keep up with them.

The framework for fast application development is now complex, especially considering the Android and iOS environments. Sometimes, cross-platform apps are weaker than native apps.

4. Difficulty in building cross-platform team

It's not easy to integrate native mobile technologies, like CI and UX, with web technologies, such as JavaScript and React.

This is one reason why the issues associated with cross-platform app development are complex to address.

Read More: Learn iOS App Design With 12 Easy Tips

Flutter vs React: The Difference

Here are some of the primary differences between React Native vs Flutter:

Flutter vs React: The Comparison

Both have their strengths and communities, but the question remains: Which is better, Flutter or React Native?

Here is a side-by-side comparison between the two based on various key factors:

1. Performance: React Native vs Flutter

Flutter

» Rendering Engine: Flutter uses a rendering engine called Skia, which doesn't rely on the native system’s UI components. This enables consistent performance on both iOS and Android app development framework.

» Performance: Since Flutter compiles directly to native code, its apps run smoothly with high frame rates, especially when animating and transitioning graphics.

React Native

» Layer of Communication: React Native uses the bridge to connect JavaScript with native code. Having this is a valuable feature, but it might be a bit of a performance overhead.

» Performance: Apps created with React Native are fast and fluid, but they may require extra optimization or native integration on specific complex animations and heavy tasks to ensure smooth application operation.

2. Development Experience: Flutter vs React

Flutter

» Hot Reload: allows the developer to see changes in a mobile application in real-time without restarting it, speeding up the development time.

» UI Customization: Flutter enables the smooth development of high-resolution, customized user interfaces that appear similar on iOS and Android.

React Native

» Hot Reloading: Similar to Flutter, React Native comes equipped with hot reload capabilities that allow developers to increase the speed at which a particular application is developed.

» Well-developed Ecosystem: The vast JavaScript community has developed the ecosystem well, which allows developers to decrease complexity by offering more libraries and integrations.

3. UI and Design: Flutter vs React Native

Flutter

» Pre-Built Widgets: Flutter provides many customizable widgets that follow the Material Design and Cupertino (iOS) guidelines. It makes UIs relatively easy to follow and aesthetically pleasing.

» Custom Interface: Because of the flexibility that Flutter's widget system offers, custom designs, which might be challenging in React Native, can be easily achieved.

React Native

» Native Components: React Native uses native components, which makes its UIs appear more natural and closer to native platform conventions. The added efforts may be inevitable for uniform design on both iOS and Android.

» Custom Design: Though React Native supports custom designs, achieving a uniform look and feel for iOS and Android still takes additional effort.

4. Community and Support: React vs Flutter

Flutter

» Growing Community: The Flutter community is growing very fast, and it has more support with many packages and plugins. It has all the support from Google and lends more credibility and resources.

» Learning: Dart is less trendy, as JavaScript may pose some learning curve to some developers; however, Dart's modern features and strong typing will offer long-term benefits.

React Native

» Strong Community: React Native has a well-established and active community with extensive documentation, third-party libraries, and experts.

» Knowledge of JavaScript: Since JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages, many developers could more easily access development with React Native.

This will, therefore, reduce the learning curve and enhance development speed.

5. Easy Integration with Native Features: Flutter vs React Native

Flutter

» Plugins and Packages: Flutter includes some functionalities by developing plugins and packages to access native feature functionalities. More complex functionalities, however, may require writing in native-specific code.

» Channels: In situations where functionalities are a bit complex, the Flutter-based platform channels make it simple to communicate to native code, thus offering much flexibility in accessing native feature functionalities.

React Native

» Native Modules: React Native's architecture smooths the inclusion of native code. This architecture makes it easy to add or create features as they apply on any platform, leveraging existing native libraries.

» Community Modules: The massive React Native system encompasses community-developed modules to access native features, often making integration much less complicated.

Recommended Read: Shopify App Development Benefits for E-Commerce

Which is Better, Flutter or React Native?

Flutter leads in performance, app compatibility, development cost involved, and future market trends.

However, if hiring developers is considered, React Native may lead since there are many great makers with excellent expertise on that platform.

Therefore, most companies consider this when deciding on the right app technology.

In most cases, Flutter will be the best option for more significant or native-based applications. However, with comparison, React Native seems to be a better choice if the apps could take advantage of existing modules.

You should also remember that no two applications are alike, and each project must be considered separately.

It is always perfect to consult a development team with experience in cross-platform projects. However, somebody who only knows one framework cannot help you get the entire picture.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, Flutter and React Native are great choices for mobile app development. Within their frameworks, Android and iOS fans can expect a good set of tools and features, resulting in top-notch apps.

Flutter and React Native are similar in performance, user interface, code reuse, and cost. Of course, it all depends on how well your project fits your needs.

Since each has its strengths and weaknesses, you must determine which is best for your project.

Business owners should consider app development for business growth opportunities, as 92% of mobile users spend time using mobile applications rather than web browsers.

Arramton Infotech, a leading app development company, can help you with all your needs. Contact us here!

Frequently Asked Question

Q. Which is better: flutter vs React native 2024?

Ans: It isn't easy choosing between React and Flutter 2024, as both have merits that are so different from each other. For starters, React has excellent performance because of its use of the Dart language, plus Flutter is impressive when it comes to animated transitions. Moreover, React Native stands out with a more native feeling as it uses actual native UI components for its cross-platform development.

Q. Is Flutter backend or frontend?

Ans: Flutter is an application framework that creates mobile, web, and desktop applications using a single codebase, making it easier to develop across platforms.

Q. What is Dart?

Ans: Flutter is built upon the Dart programming language, one of which is impressive for producing fast, responsive user interfaces with smooth animations.

Q. Which one has better UI/UX?

Ans: While Flutter has built-in functionalities for UI rendering, APIs for access to devices, navigation, and a range of testing features, React Native largely relies on third-party libraries for most native modules. This means that if one wants a more refined user interface, Flutter is usually the best choice.